Article holder



Aug. 30, 1966 H. P. HENDERSON ARI'I CLE HOLDER Filed March 27. 1964 A TTOIQA/E KS United States Patent 3,269,555 ARTICLE HOLDER Harold P. Henderson, 271 Northwood Drive, Tonawanda, N.Y. Filed Mar. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 355,388 7 Claims. (Cl. 211-126) This invention relates to holders for boxes and particularly to holders which are adapted to be mounted on a vehicle floor upon the hump or tunnel which extends centrally along such floor over the vehicle drive shaft.

It is highly desirable for vehicle operators and passengers to have readily available a supply of facial tissues and the present invention provides means for supporting a box of such tissues in a secure yet readily replaceable manner at the center of the floor or the passenger compartment upon the ridge or hump which extends longitudinally in most automotive vehicles. While boxes of facial tissues are mentioned herein by way of example, the holder of the present invention may be employed for various purposes, such as for waste receptacles or boxes adapted to hold various articles or commodities.

The holder of the present invention is adapted to be readily applied to vehicle floor humps of various sizes and configurations without special adjustment or modification. Furthermore, the holder is so arranged that it is readily collapsed or folded so as to occupy a minimum of space for packing and shipment. At the same time the holder may be set up for use and applied substantially instantaneously and without special knowledge or the use of tools of any kind.

While a single specific embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the drawing and described in detail in the following specification, it is to be understood that such embodiment is by way of example only and that various modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is limited only as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of one form of the holder of the present invention in a position of use; and

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

In the drawing like characters of reference denote like parts and the numeral 10 designates the ridge or hump extending longitudinally along a conventional automotive vehicle floor. The holder shown applied to the hump 10 in FIG. 1 comprises a box-like body designated generally by the numeral 11 and comprising a bottom 12, side walls 13 and front and rear walls 14 and 15. The box-like body 11 may be of sheet metal or may consist of a plastic molding.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of depending flanges or lugs 16 is provided at each side of body 11. In the case of a sheet metal body the flanges '16 may be struck from the side walls 13 as shown in FIG. 1. Leg members 17 of a resilient or springy material are pivoted to the bottom 12 of body 11 as at 18. Four such leg members are provided and pivots 18 are located so that the four leg members may assume the dot and dash line position illustrated in FIG. 2 when the device is not in use.

The leg members 17 are arched or bowed in their free conditions but due to their resiliency may be flattened against the bottom 12 of body 11 for packing and shipment. When the holder is to be mounted for use the leg members 17 are swung outwardly to the full line position of FIG. 2 and are moved into notches 20 formed in flanges 16. Notches 20 have ear portions 21 which normally retain the leg members 17 against inadvertent movement from the notches 20.

The outer ends of the leg members 17 have downturned portions 22 which may be toothed as shown for Patented August 30, 1966 gripping engagement with a floor mat, floor carpet or the like. In applying the holder the arched legs may be manually opened out or flattened somewhat beyond their final positions so that, when released, they will securely grip the floor mat or floor carpet at opposite sides of the hump 10. It is found that this provides a secure engagement which positions the body '11 atop the hump 10 to receive the bottom of a box therein.

In a particular instance of use the holder body 11 may be of a size to snugly receive the bottom of a conventional facial tissue box therein. As shown at 24 in FIG. 1, the side walls 13 may be provided with inwardly directed longitudinal bead formations which reinforce the side walls 13 and serve as a resilient detent for a cardboard box placed in the body 11. The side walls of the cardboard box are depressed somewhat by the beads and the bottom wall of the box tends to be retained beneath the bead formations 24.

I claim:

1. An article holder for a vehicle body having a linearly extending tunnel hump, said article holder comprising a bottom wall and side and end walls cooperating to form an article receiving tray, a pair of laterally extending arched leg members of resilient material pivoted to the under side of said bottom wall at each side of said holder whereby said leg members may be pivoted and flattened to extend longitudinally of and substantially parallel to said bottom wall in non-use position, said laterally extending arched leg members being bowed downwardly to embrace the side Walls of said hump in use position, and means for releasably retaining said leg members in laterally extending position.

2. An article holder for a vehicle body having a linearly extending tunnel hump, said article holder comprising a bottom wall and side and end walls cooperating to form an article receiving tray, a pair of laterally extending arched leg members of resilient material pivoted to the under side of said bottom Wall at each side of said holder whereby said leg members may be pivoted and flattened to extend longitudinally of and substantially parallel to said bottom wall in non-use position, said laterally extending arched leg members being bowed downwardly to embrace the side walls of said hump in use position, and a pair of members extending downwardly at each side of said holder in transverse alignment with said leg member pivots, said downwardly extending members comprising means for releasably retaining said leg members in laterally extending position.

3. An article holder for a vehicle body having a linearly extending tunnel hump, said article holder comprising a bottom wall and side and end walls cooperating to form an article receiving tray, a pair of arched leg members of resilient material pivoted to the under side of said bottom wall at each side of said holder whereby said leg members may extend longitudinally within the confines of said bottom wall or may be moved to extend laterally, said leg members being bowed downwardly to embrace the side walls of said hump when extending laterally, and flanges extending downwardly at each side of said holder in transverse alignment with said leg member pivots, said flanges being notched to receive said leg members for releasably retaining them in laterally extending position.

4. An article receiving tray for a vehicle body having a linearly extending floor hump, a pair of laterally extending arched leg members of resilient material pivoted to the under side of said tray at each side thereof whereby said leg members may be pivoted and flattened to extend longitudinally of and substantially parallel to said tray in non-use position, said laterally extending arched leg members being bowed downwardly to embrace the side walls of said hump in use position, and means for releasably retaining said leg members in laterally extending position. 1

5. An article receiving tray for a vehicle body having a linearly extending floor hump, a pair of laterally extending arched leg members of resilient material pivoted to the under side of said tray at each side thereof whereby said leg members may be pivoted and flattened to extend longitudinally of and substantially parallel to, said tray in non-use position, said laterally extending leg members being bowed downwardly and having flange formations at their outer ends for gripping engagement with base portions of said hump in use position, and means for releasably retaining said leg members in laterally extending position.

6. An article holder for a vehicle body having a linearly extending tunnel hump, said article holder comprising a bottom wall and side and end Walls cooperating to form an article receiving tray, a pair of laterally extending arched leg members of resilient material pivoted to the under side of said bottom wall at each side of said holder whereby said leg members may be pivoted and flattened to extend longitudinally of and substantially parallel to said bottom wall in non-use position, said leg members being bowed downwardly to embrace the side walls of said hump when in laterally extending use positions.

7. An article receiving tray for a vehicle body having a linearly extending floor hump, a pair of laterally extending arched leg members of resilient material pivoted to the under side of said tray at each side thereof whereby said leg members may be pivoted and flattened to extend 1ongitudinally of and substantially parallel to said tray in non-use position, said leg members being bowed downwardly to embrace the side walls of said hump when in laterally extending use positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,464,031 3/ 1949 Fiedel 248-167 2,647,716 8/1953 Hudziak et al 248226 2,867,248 1/1959 FOrney 248-34 3,109,537 11/1963 Larkin 224--29 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

K. J. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICLE HOLDER FOR A VEHICLE BODY HAVING A LINEARLY EXTENDING TUNNEL HUMP, SAID ARTICLE HOLDER COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL AND SIDE AND END WALLS COOPERATING TO FORM AN ARTICLE RECEIVING TRAY, A PAIR OF LATERALLY EXTENDING ARCHED LEG MEMBERS OF RESILIENT MATERIAL PIVOTED TO THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL AT EACH SIDE OF SAID HOLDER WHEREBY SAID LEG MEMBERS MAY BE PIVOTED AND FLATTENED TO EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY OF AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID BOTTOM WALL IN NON-USE POSITION, SAID LATERALLY EXTENDING ARCHED LEG MEMBERS BEING BOWED DOWNWARDLY TO EMBRACE THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID HUMP IN USE POSITION, AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID LEG MEMBERS IN LATERALLY EXTENDING POSITION. 